Re: Wrestling Intensity

[Lstockert]

All Respondents:


Thank you for reminding us of the realities. Perhaps this is why the number of young people wrestling is on the decline and precisely why we need to examine what we are doing. This week our wrestlers are involved in wonderful program for the children at the grade schools. I go to these and see a packed Gym. Matpac beginning classes are full - Yet when these youngsters get to Junior High and Highschool there is only a handful left. Why? How do we retain more of these kids? How do we reassure parents that their kids' heads are not going to get ripped off? I listened to a senior in Highschool who has wrestled for 13 years or more deliver a stingy indictment and I was both shocked and grateful for his honesty - but I did hear his message very clearly. I love this sport and want it to survive. I thought that I knew where the line divides but perhaps I am wrong and you are correct.

PS - Hockey is no better - Is it really necessary to slam a kid against the walls so hard that his helmet and skates pops off?

LStockert

[smarvin]

All sports have different aspects to them that can be approached with different styles and tactics. Hockey you have your thugs who wear down on players and then score- wrestling has them. Hockey has finness players (The Great One) where they depend on speed and skill to score but not as much muscle- wrestling has them. This post is about intensity, the ability to focus at high levels and stay there, and is really what sports is all about because if you run out of it the game is usually over. There is a difference I agree between thinking and acting as if you are going to rip someones arms off, a needed intensity, but to go and actually try and injure another person well that has an obvious answer. Regardless of what style the wrestler aproaches a match whether it is the thug wrestler or the finness wrestler it comes down to what works, who has more points, and how many shoulders the other guy has on the mat.

PS Interesting to ponder the effects putting boards up around wrestling mats and do away with the stalling calls

[FormerImperial]

Gillis,

I don't think there is anything wrong with being intense but if you condone grabbing a wrestlers balls to stop a reversal I have lost any repect that I have had for you and your career. I am sure that was the first thing Gable told you when a wrestler is going to reverse you grab his balls. When a wrestler such as Mellmer gets against a kid with limited talent do you think embarassing him does any good for that kid or our sport. You were not there but during the Napoleon and Carrington Dual the 135lb wrestler took it to our 140lb eighth grader like he had screwed his girlfriend. Now I am not saying take it easy on them but dont try to hurt someone. Carrington can be lucky there was not a minute left with Irmen and McCleary or they probably would have had to default Irmen in the Finals. In my eyes when you have to hurt someone to win there is no place for you in our sport. Period

[beefy12]

I agree that you have to be intense in wrestling. All the good wrestlers are intense and thats what helps them win. If they hurt someone on accident in a match there is nothing you can do about it. Accidents come and go. But, if you go out on the mat to hurt someone, then there is no need for you in the sport of wrestling. This is cheap and unsportsmanlike. Sportmanship is viewed as the understanding and commitment to fair play, ethical behavior, and integrity.

Remember we are high shcool students just hoping to enjoy and have a successful high school career, and not injuring one another.

[fordville]

Don't worry about formerimperial, he is just crabby because his wife finally put him on a diet.

[DFreeman]

Troy I agree with you that you should not grab someones balls to win but Galt did nothing against your 140 pound wrestler that was wrong and if there would have been a minute left in Irmen's match McCleary would have gotten majored which he would have anyway if Helen Keller hadn't been the ref. Irmen is probably a 135 pounder and he kicked the crap out of the kid at 152 that took 3rd.

[daneheid]

im speakin from experience here, that when a wrestler is down he's going to pull some kind of idiotic move to hurt the kid, ive had it happend to me where i'm beating a kid that doesnt think he should of lost and all of a sudden he's putting his knee into the back of my head or something. its at that point when the kid isnt wrestling anymore, hes just out to hurt someone. i saw mcleary vs. irmen match and was disgusted when i seen what mccleary did to irmen. if you cant take a loss given to you by that talented of a wrestler then you have no right being out on the mat. as far as mellmers intensity on the mat, i love it. it makes for an exciting match to watch from teh stands instead of going over to the other mat to watch. getting hurt happens in sports, football, hockey, wrestling, baseball, and so on. an injury isnt an excuse to not play a sport even before it happens.


Dane Heid

[WFfan]

There is a big difference in being "Intense" and kickin the crap out of some poor kid who is just not a good wrestler...And people wonder why the "big bad ass" wrestlers get forfeited to ALLLL the time in duals even when the other team has a body to put on the mat!

ps- party intensity gets you kicked off Iowas team!

[Buzzsaw]

There is a limit with being intense and being down right stupid. You can be intense and pumped up for a match, but there is just no excuse for going out and trying to hurt your opponent. For example, I'm sure that Reese Boehm would have wanted to wrestle Luke McDonald in the 135 ibs. state championship in 2000, rather than win by an injury default. Luke might have not won the match but I'm certain that Reese and Luke wouldn't have wanted to end their highschool career by a injury default. I just don't think that going out hurting your opponents to win matches in right. Wrestlers can be rivals and enemies on the mat, but off the mat they should show a little class and respect for one another. Going out to hurt each other doesn't show that one bit.

[Chervosa]

Stockert, please save yourself some time and ebarassment. Don't TRY to press charges, he hasn't done anything wrong. A judge with any common sense would have the case thrown out. Seriously, I'm trying to help you here, it's not worth it.

[Hawk150]

I don't by any means think being cheap is good. That is not what I am talking about when I say intensity. I don't even know what you guys are talking about with the whole ball grabbing thing, I wasn't there.

Let's put it this way, how many moves do you know of that score points while riding a guy that work unless they hurt. (This doesn't mean Illegal or Cheap).

I am talking more about the attitude and mentality.

And when I say go out there and wrestle a kid that is not in your league the same way you wrestle everyone else that doesn't mean I think a guy should role a kid off his back and let him up just so he can practice his takedowns. Lets use some common sense!

[GTG]

WFfan, I think you need to come off your high horse. Yah he partied but who doesn't in college. He just had a big name so people heard about.

The reason he only wrestled Varsity for 2 years was because he tore his ACL 3 times and had reconstruction twice, which are 6-8 month rehabs each. By the way this was on his one knee and that brought his total knee surgery count on that leg to 8. That is why he retired.

He is a friend of mine and I think he traveled all over the nation wrestling, and helped put North Dakota on the map, so that others had an opportunity to wrestle Div 1.

[WrestlingDad]

MR Stockert,
I agree with Chervosa. Let it be! I (like I am sure many others) did not think it came from your son in the first place and am sure it was some kind of joke (not a real nice joke but a joke). Hopefully this person will not be able to post on here anymore but I hardly think it should become a police matter.

[FormerImperial]

Dennis your 135 lbr did cross the line I think but lets remember what happened to veen. But I believe it was part due to the intensity of the dual. Carrington did wrestle a fantastic tourney. I do believe you owe me a couple brewski's. Going to Vegas tomorrow should I bet on anything for you.
Fordville show your email you puss. Or are you grabbing someones balls.